Mississippi · personal care aide (PCA)
Mississippi does not set a minimum number of training hours, but personal care attendants in the Elderly and Disabled Waiver must pass a scored exam and a hands-on skills check before working, then repeat the course every year. They also need current first aid and CPR and a fingerprint background check.
At a glance
What the state asks of PCAs who work for licensed agencies or Medicaid programs.
| Job titles | Personal Care Attendant (PCA), direct care staff |
| Training | No hour minimum. A required Division of Medicaid course on hire covering abuse reporting, daily living help, infection control, emergency preparedness, patient privacy, and documentation. |
| Exam | Scored exam plus a hands-on skills assessment before you provide services |
| Certification | Current first aid and CPR certification; you must not be on the Mississippi Nurse Aide Abuse Registry |
| Background check | National fingerprint check before hire and every two years, plus Nurse Aide Abuse Registry and federal exclusion list checks before hire and monthly |
| Yearly training | Repeat the required course every year |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Agency licensing | Mississippi State Department of Health licenses home health agencies. A separate license for non-medical personal care agencies was not found. |
Training
Personal care attendants in the Elderly and Disabled (E&D) Waiver must take a course required by the Division of Medicaid (DOM) when hired. It covers reporting abuse under the Vulnerable Persons Act, help with daily living and household tasks, infection control, emergency preparedness, patient privacy, documentation, and more. You must pass a scored exam and a hands-on skills check before you work, then retake the course every year.
Providers can teach the course with in-house supervisors or use an online vendor. DOM updated the training requirements in April 2026, so ask your provider for the current version.
In the Independent Living (IL) Waiver, run by the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS), participants help train and certify their own PCA.
The steps
The usual path for a new aide.
Family caregivers
Sometimes. Since a June 2025 rule change, the E&D Waiver can pay relatives who are not legally responsible for the participant, if they are qualified and employed by an enrolled provider. Spouses, parents or stepparents of minors, guardians, conservators, power of attorney holders, and representative payees cannot be paid.
In the IL Waiver, a family member can serve only if they are not a spouse or parent of a minor, do not live in the home, and there is a good reason, such as no other attendants in a remote area.
Read our full guide: how to get paid to care for a family member.
Compare
All three help people with daily care. Training, tasks, and pay differ.
| Personal care aide | Home health aide | CNA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | No set hours; exam and skills check | 75 hours federal minimum, including 16 hands-on | State-approved program, 75 hours or more |
| Medical tasks | Mostly not. Help with daily living, like bathing, dressing, meals, and housework | Some, like vital signs, under nurse supervision | Yes, under nurse supervision |
| Where you work | Clients' homes, group homes, assisted living | Clients' homes, through home health agencies | Nursing homes and hospitals |
| Median pay (MS) | $11.47 an hour* | $11.47 an hour* | $15.15 an hour |
*Federal pay data groups personal care aides with home health aides. Many PCAs later become CNAs, which opens more jobs and higher pay.
FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most.
E&D Waiver attendants need current first aid and CPR, a passing score on the required course exam and skills check, and a clean Nurse Aide Abuse Registry record. No separate state caregiver license was found.
Mississippi does not set a minimum. Instead, you must complete the required course, pass a scored exam and hands-on skills check, and repeat the course every year.
Possibly. Since June 2025, the E&D Waiver can pay qualified relatives who are not legally responsible, if they work for an enrolled provider. Her guardian, power of attorney holder, or representative payee cannot be paid.
Yes. E&D Waiver attendants need a national fingerprint criminal background check before hire and again every two years.
Home health and personal care aides in Mississippi earn a median of $11.47 an hour, based on the May 2025 federal wage survey.